The Metropolitan Displacement
by carryonshamy
Summary: The gang find themselves in New York after Leonard and Sheldon are summoned to a physics convention. Some Lenny and some Shamy. Set after The Countdown Reflection.
1. Chapter 1

The wedding was perfect. No hymns, no readings, no fuss (apart from one or two minor distractions from Mrs Wolowitz). Just two people who loved each other and their five close friends, who stood proudly on the top of an apartment complex as the Google satellite passed over Pasadena.

Since the wedding, Howard Wolowitz was launched into orbit to the International Space Station, leaving his new wife Bernadette grounded and learning to carry on as normal without her husband, who was thousands of miles away in the heavens. After four painful weeks, Howard had safely returned back to Earth and everyone had breathed a sigh of relief. And now that he'd gotten over his post-space blues, his feet were in use again after being weightless for the whole mission and his bowel movements had (almost) returned to normal, he and Bernadette finally held their postponed wedding reception in the famous Tournament House, surrounded by their close friends and family.

"So you don't think I've made a ridiculous mistake?" Bernadette whispered to Penny and Amy. "I mean, we both have overbearing mothers but that's not the only reason why I married Howard."

Amy shook her head. "Not at all." She glanced over at Howard, who was laughing loudly at a joke Raj had told him. "As your Maid of Honour, I can confirm you wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't the right path to take. Plus it gave me a third chance to wear my Maid of Honour dress", she grinned and smoothed down the pink material.

"It totally is!" Penny swung in and planted a great big kiss on Bernadette, smudging pink lipstick all over her face. "He may be a creepy, flirtatious sex pest in my eyes, but he's super in love with you and I'm pretty sure that's the main factor to take into consideration before you hitch your wagon. Plus, wow, classiest wagon ever, by the way. The guy behind the bar keeps giving me free drinks."

"You and your alcohol," Bernadette giggled and playfully slapped Penny's mass of blonde curls. "But you're right, I couldn't _not _marry him. He's so sweet."

"Yeah, sweet. I'm totally only getting married when the guy can rent out my favourite romantic place for an entire Saturday evening, the poor bastard." Penny sighed and sank a full flute of champagne. As a hand slid around her waist and pulled her close, she was reminded of the guy who was in the process of trying to capture her heart.

"So this is the nicest wedding reception I think I've ever been to," he gently pressed his lips against her skin. "And I have the hottest date here."

"Firstly, there are only eight girls here and secondly, it's still not even true," she said, turning to gaze into Leonard's eyes through his lenses. "Bernadette looks stunning, Amy looks adorable in that dress-"

"Will you just please take the compliment?" Leonard shook his head.

Penny wrinkled her nose and accepted a kiss, silently thanking her lucky stars. Her relationship with Leonard hadn't always been easy, and at times they had got far too serious, far too quickly. Leonard had recently proposed marriage to Penny during sex, and she had put the brakes on and Leonard had spent the past few weeks cooling his heels, pretending he wasn't ready to start dating again but had really wondered when it would be ok to start fresh with Penny. Eventually he'd knocked on her apartment door and, thank God, Kirk and Stephen Hawking, she'd opened it. Now they were both just trying to have fun and ignore the constant burning feelings in their stomachs. Leonard felt that this was it, Penny was the one, although Penny herself was confused, and wasn't sure whether she could see a future with the experimental physicist. None of them wanted a performance of the previous times. Between his on/off relationships with Penny, Leonard had been with several other girls and not once, not for a moment, had he felt so scared to lose her as he did when he lay wide awake at night, watching Penny sleep.

For the last few weeks, Leonard had been the heartbreakingly wonderful boyfriend Penny could have ever imagined. He brought her flowers, including the sunflower that she'd pinned in her hair along with the Penny Blossoms for the reception. He kept her company with candlelit dinners when she couldn't afford to pay her electricity bill (and then promptly ended up paying her electricity bill), made breakfast before she'd even woken up and even trekked over to Amy's apartment to pick her up after a girl's night out, complete with a hangover-friendly pizza and didn't mind when she predominantly threw up in his car on the way home.

Penny peered up and down the table as they sat down for dinner and couldn't remember a time where she'd felt so happy. So what if these weren't the people she'd grown up with, or didn't have similar interests to her? They were the people who had taught her the differences between Star Wars and Star Trek, how to play chess and realistically, how terrible her driving actually is.

"I'm so jealous of you and Bernadette", Amy nudged Penny tipsily. "She's now happily married to the turtleneck of her dreams, you've got sweat jackets over there and me? Well, it took me a year just to get Flash t-shirts to give me a cuddle."

"I was just having a lovely quiet moment, thinking how lucky I am to have found such amazing friends here in LA," she tapped Amy's hand. "And then you have to go and ruin it with your silly characteristic male clothing devices."

"You know you love me really, bestie." Amy leaned her head on Penny's shoulder and chucked her under the chin. "But if I can't get Sheldon to increase his feelings for me soon I may have to spend my entire free time learning how to play World of Warcraft. Or I could just give up," she added, sadly.

Penny looked over at Sheldon, who was giving his very best listening face to Leonard and Stuart from the comic book store. For the most part, Penny would rather sit through a three-hour lecture on energy particles than go on a date with Dr. Whack-a-Doodle. But in the past, she had seen a different side to him, and recently helped him patch up his relationship with Amy. Their relationship may be the most ridiculous one Penny's ever witnessed, as well as moving at the pace of an arthritic snail, however she had hope for them both.

"Don't worry sweetie, he'll come out of his Hobbit house soon enough. Drink wine, it'll ease the pain." Penny splashed some more red into Amy's glass, who then proceeded to knock it back.

"Alright bestie, though I'll be sad if you beat me down the aisle with Leonard. This Maid of Honour dress can only cope with so many weddings."

"Amy!" Penny hissed quietly. "Shut up! We've been back together for like, two minutes. You'll jinx it."

"I don't know if that is possible," Amy replied, waving her hand in the air. "According to my mental statistics, you and Leonard have only spent a maximum of four nights apart since you got back together. This implies that you are both into each other and enjoy each other's company. Now that Howard and Bernadette are married this may result in an increase of feelings between yourself and Leonard. You cannot let him become attracted to the more tasteful options. And Carrie Bradshaw says you have to get something to wear for the rest of your life."

"We're taking things slowly and you know it. I've hurt him before and this time I'm trying hard to make it work. And I didn't think you were the Sex and the City type."

"I know. It's an obvious factor to our social group and we are all pleased for you. The Sex and the City part is new, I only watch it on evenings when I tell Sheldon I'm going to bed early. However it doesn't improve my self-esteem. Watching women sabotaging beautiful men in the bedroom only reminds me of my own man who only let me in his room once to see his 25 cats. Oh good, the food's here."

"Yes, because I really feel like eating right now." Penny muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

"What time is it?" croaked Penny, rolling towards Leonard who gingerly poked his feet out of the bed and felt around for his slippers. He knew it was stupid not to wear his bed socks when Penny stayed over, but since she'd made fun of them the first time they'd engaged in coitus, he just didn't think he was ready to admit that he still wore them, so he suffered.

"Seven-thirty," he sighed, allowing Penny to pull him back into bed, his feet disappearing underneath the duvet. Leonard was like a human hot-water bottle. No matter how cold the apartment was in the morning, he was always like a furnace. Aside from the obvious, it was one of Penny's favourite reasons to have him in bed with her.

"As much as I don't want to, I really do have to get up."

"See, I go around telling people how awesome it is to have a physicist for a boyfriend," Penny grumbled as Leonard pulled away again, "because he can go into the office anytime he wants. And here you are, at seven-thirty…"

"I can't help it," Leonard said, "It's in the Roommate Agreement, Sheldon has to be at work no later than nine as he claims his brain can't function properly if it's on a different timing schedule." He pulled on his dressing gown and looked back at Penny, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, the covers up around her nose.

"Do you really tell people your boyfriend is a physicist?"

"Mmm," Penny rolled herself over under the covers, hiding her head as Leonard opened the curtains. "What else am I supposed to tell them? Your lactose intolerant and smell of Star Wars hygiene products?"

"Ah, clever", he replied, sarcastically. He grabbed a towel off the radiator, heading into the bathroom. "You can tell people whatever you want." As long as you tell them I'm your boyfriend, he added silently with a smile.

* * *

The California Institute of Technology was Sheldon's least favourite place to be today. It was an open day, meaning that swarms of labradoodles and their pushy parents would be blocking the corridors and arguing with each other loudly as to who was the better scientist and would then begin their appeal for a place to study at the university. However, this morning was different, as Sheldon had been summoned to President Siebert's room. The last meeting they'd had was when he was using a urinal. Sheldon pushed past a group of girls who were taking it in turns to have their photo taken next to a poster of the Periodic Table and turned left into Siebert's new office layout.

"President Siebert's been waiting for you," an uninterested voice came from behind a computer monitor.

"Aren't I early? I left my office specifically at 8.57 to take the stairs two floors up and to stop for a refreshing drink at the water fountain before thoroughly cleansing my alimentary canal to rid it of bacteria. My watch is set to the exact time of the Pacific Time Zone and assured me that I would arrive at the allotted time President Siebert wanted to see me." Sheldon explained to the monitor. Siebert's assistant, Julie, wasn't exactly his biggest fan and she usually gave him the courtesy of a dirty look.

"President Siebert arrived at seven, your meeting was scheduled to start at nine." She stood up and swept round the desk. Sheldon was known for his tall and lanky physique, but whenever he stood next to Julie it certainly showed. She must be no taller than five feet, and cranked her neck up to stare at Sheldon with her beady brown eyes. "It's now three after nine. You're late," she smirked.

Was it right for a personal assistant, who it seemed had even less education standards than Penny, to make Sheldon feel like a naughty sixth-former? Before he could protest any further, Julie passed through Siebert's big glass doors and purred, "Dr Cooper's here to see you, President Siebert. Can I get you anymore coffee?"

"More coffee please, Julie. And do you want anything?" President Siebert was slouching in his swivel chair, casually reading through a dissertation. He gave Sheldon a welcoming smile, something he had never seen before.

"No caffeine for me, I can never predict what it has in store for my internal organs. Bottled water will do fine." He tried a small smile at Julie, who stared at him open-mouthed for a moment before flouncing off.

"Please sit down Sheldon, I have a treat for you and I have a strong feeling you're going to like it." He leaned across his desk.

"You may have to hold onto that feeling but go on." Sheldon sat in the chair facing Siebert.

"Well as you know your research here at the university has proved to be extremely accurate and valuable over recent years." He rested his chin on his hand and smiled. Sheldon's research was indeed a success, and a lot of the results were being used in other universities in the state. He even had a column written about him in the latest issue of Science Magazine, however his mother had not taken kindly to it. She didn't like that Annette from church knew what her Shelly was up to before she did. "Dr Gablehauser and I are very impressed with your work and we have a new project for you. How do you feel about branching out?"

"Branching out?" Sheldon paused. He worried that he was heading towards another firing line. "Are you suggesting I leave CalTech for a better position?"

"No, not at all." Siebert nodded thanks as Julie arrived with his coffee. Sheldon looked up hopefully. No water for him. This wasn't right. "This is it, Dr Cooper. Your big break. Some of the most renowned physicists in the country are teaming up to work on research projects and your name is on the list."

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to work with other physicists in my field," Sheldon replied, casually. "They probably won't be able to keep up with me."

"Sure they will, I'm certain they'll be thrilled to work with you." The fact that Siebert couldn't look at Sheldon proved he didn't even believe himself.

"I'm leaps and yards ahead of anyone working at this university, I've fainted in front of Stephen Hawking and insulted Dr Gablehauser's work more times than he thinks. I really don't think this would do anything helpful towards my career." Sheldon said. "Can't someone else go?"

"We can send someone else," Siebert said, looking up and staring him out. "But this one is yours, they asked for you specifically. Are you telling me you don't want to do it?"

Miraculously, a glass of water appeared in front of Sheldon, but Julie had turned on her heel before he could complain that it wasn't bottled. He sat back in his chair. Of course he should do this project. How hard could it be? "I do want to do it. In a way it could help me establish new boundaries for communicating with new people, although I have very few exceptions for people with IQs less than 140."

Siebert sighed and loosened his tie. "This is a biggie, Sheldon. One week in New York with physics students from around the country and the best part is you get to work with personalities such as Brian Greene, Antony Garrett Lisi and Lisa Randall."

Sheldon gaped. It was his dream to work with these people. To drink beverages with them. To shower them with questions about their research. To ask them why they hadn't heard of him. This was all too good. He gulped down his glass of water and slammed it on the desk with excitement. "I'm in."

"Excellent!" Siebert smiled. "So, you fly on Saturday-"

"What?" Sheldon came back to Earth with a bump after fantasizing about making fun of the grad students with Professor Randall and looked at Siebert. "But it's only Monday?"

"Which gives you almost a whole week to prepare." Siebert started to click at things on his computer screen. "Dr Hofstader has also been asked to attend, so he'll be accompanying you. Julie will book your flights, hotel and will organize all of the other stuff. I'll email you both the conference and seminar schedules." He pointed towards the door, where Julie stood, clipboard in her hand and a disapproving look on her face. "I'll see you in two weeks. I'll be receiving a written report on your progress also so please don't screw this up. You and Dr Hofstader are the representatives for CalTech after all."

Sheldon rose tentatively out of the chair and backed away slowly. "Can we please hurry this up?" came the snide voice behind him. "I have other things to do today."

"Oh Julie, the world has lots of other things to do today and none of them are being seen to," Sheldon replied, proud that a hint of sarcasm had escaped him. She might be as small as a Hobbit, but Julie was a lot more dangerous.


	3. Chapter 3

… "And then if I wasn't taken aback enough, he basically told me to get out and not screw the university's reputation up! Good Lord!" Sheldon let out a long, slow breath after his five minute-long rant about President Siebert, complete with a few words about that awful PA Julie. He slowly released his hands from the table in The Cheesecake Factory and wordlessly took the tomato sauce from Raj, toppling half of the contents on his burger. "I find his actions rather insulting."

"Well, I wouldn't have told him that you have no time for people with IQs less than 140." Leonard gulped his Diet Coke and cocked his head to one side. "I just mean you've never even met any of these people before? And can't you be a little bit more aware of the fact that we are going to New York on Saturday?"

"Well I could be, but judging that I'll be staying in a strange city where I don't know how clean the water supply is or what the pizza tastes like, my opinion remains optimistic." Sheldon declared.

"Sheldon," Amy held up her hand. "You are going to have the privilege of being flown approximately 2441 miles to one of the most exhilarating cities in the universe to spend a week rubbing shoulders with a fraction of this planet's most successful theoretical physicists. They have specifically asked for you and Leonard to attend and they are paying you both for your time. I see no wrong here. It's a fantastic step for your career, you'll be working with people similar to you and for the love of this grilled cheese sandwich, you're going to a romantic city without me so I expect a Statue of Liberty snow globe on your return."

Amy was rather hoping that last sentence would hint to Sheldon that she wanted to come too, however he simply gazed at her for a moment then merely shrugged and grunted, "Fine".

"Do you really want to go to New York with that?" Howard scoffed quietly at Leonard.

"I'll probably want to bash him over the head with a Bunsen Burner at the first chance I get but I've managed to live with him long enough. I'll be fine." Leonard replied. "Although it is kind of overwhelming. I don't want to take on such an amazing opportunity like this and screw it up because the university is counting on me. Plus I don't want to disappear off to New York for a week without…" he trailed off, painfully aware that he had said the wrong thing.

"Oh no, you are not doing this!" Howard shook his head and leaned closer over the table. "It could be my only chance to revisit my old tricks without being under the evil hawk eye that is my wife. And I've never been to New York," he pointed with his fork. "If you even suggest turning this down because you've only just got back into Penny's panties then I'm going to be so angry with you."

"Firstly, that's not what I meant," Leonard fibbed through a mouthful of salad. Most days, he liked that Howard understood what was going through his mind, no matter what he said, but now that Howard was married, it just starting to become irritating. "Secondly, what on earth do you mean you want to visit your old tricks? You're married now Howard! And thirdly, who said you were coming with us?"

"That would be me. Raj is coming too, we paid President Siebert's assistant a small favour." He sniggered. "And yes, I know I'm married but nothing's going to happen! It'll be like the old times, I sure as sugar wasn't lucky back then and I won't be lucky now. Bernadette has nothing to worry about. And I know your lying, you're doing that weird thing when you fiddle with your hands."

"It's not that I don't want to go, or at least not because of Penny. I don't know. Things have been going well so far and I'd hate to see our relationship fail again."

"It won't. Trust me, a week away from the ladies is what we all need. It's perfect timing. I'm all shiny and new and need to oil these joints."

Leonard could only stare at Howard. After marrying his sweetheart and surviving in space without his mother, he hadn't changed. Still the same old Wolowitz, just with a beard.

* * *

That evening, Leonard beat Sheldon three times in a row at Mario Kart and before he could be succumbed to another rant from his roommate about how fixed the game was, he had escaped to Penny's apartment after he heard her returning from work.

"Hey!" She opened the door and pulled him in, kissing him hard on the lips.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't go to New York on Saturday." Leonard breathed, coaxing Penny towards the couch.

"I don't know, it's crowded?" Penny muttered between kisses.

"That'll do. It's never like it is in the movies is it?" Leonard replied.

Penny's apartment was just as dishevelled as its owner, with magazines, crockery and worn clothes strewn everywhere. She hastily got up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen, almost breaking her neck when she stumbled over a pair of expensive shoes, before pouring herself and Leonard a glass of wine and joining him. "So, any reason in particular why I should be trying to talk you out of going to New York on Saturday? That was a pretty random request, even for you."

"The university wants me and Sheldon to go to a convention to work with some of the country's upper-class physicists." Leonard waved a hand around, working very hard to come across as very casual about the whole thing. "They want us to go on Saturday for a week."

"Sounds like a great opportunity," Penny offered diplomatically. "It'll be hot at this time of the year too."

"I know, it could be amazing. It's just a long way and stuff."

"It is," she agreed. "But you never know, you might like it?"

"Do you?" Leonard asked. "Like New York, I mean."

"Meh," Penny held her hand up to Leonard's. "I went there a few years ago for an audition. After all the travelling they said I was far too typical LA for the part. They like their business, we like our partying."

"So you wouldn't want to come with me?" Leonard asked, only briefly considering Howard's wrath. "It's only for a week."

"However will I survive without you?" Penny grinned and kissed his cheek. "I've got extra shifts at The Cheesecake Factory for the next month. One of the girls I work with, Tara, she was pregnant until it decided to pop out in the Apple Store yesterday. Plus the last convention I went to didn't end successfully well. I don't know how I'd cope with the Sheldon in the Big Apple. But you should go Leonard, we'll be fine. Despite our difficulties in the past, I've always trusted you. Go, don't worry about me."

"Your amazing," Leonard smiled, relief bubbling in his stomach. For the first time that day, he began to feel excited.


	4. Chapter 4

Saturday came around altogether too quickly for Leonard and not nearly quickly enough for Sheldon. He had spent the entire week typing up an itinerary for himself and the others, with everything from whereabouts they will sit on the plane to when they expect to evacuate their bowel movements to what time of the day he would Skype Amy. In between, he had carefully packed all of his clothes so none of them would crease and researched restaurants in Lower Manhattan, near to where they would be staying. Leonard, however, took a more stressful approach to the trip. He'd gone back to Penny and told her he'd changed his mind about going to New York. A relieved smile and "cool, bring me back a skyline shooter glass" wasn't exactly the response he'd been hoping for, but he decided to not let it get to him. Leonard had been hoping Penny would hate the idea of him taking off to rub shoulders with other physicists his age with an unknown reputation in the city that never sleeps and beg to come with him but not so much. She'd barely even acknowledged it, which left Leonard optimistic. Howard had arrived the night before departure laden down with his mother's brisket sandwiches and a small box of condoms which he insisted were for Raj.

At eight the next morning, Sheldon, Raj and Howard stood impatiently on the landing, checking their watches every minute, whilst Leonard lingered in his goodbye hug with Penny.

"So let me know when you all get there." She curled a lock of his hair around her finger. "Just text or something."

"If I'm not too busy killing Sheldon or bailing Howard and Raj out for sexual harassment." Leonard whispered. "Possibly literally doing both."

"Well as long as you're not sexually harassing anyone but me." She leaned in for a warm kiss.

"I'd better go. I fear Sheldon may start a presidential campaign to get me in a cab." Oh, and I love you by the way, Leonard added silently. "Um, I'll call you later?"

Penny nodded. "Don't forget you're three hours ahead of me. This could be the perfect thing for us; we could be the first couple to ever make a long-distance relationship work."

"What about me and Bernadette?" Howard chipped in. "I went to the International Space Station, that's the furthest any couple could go long-distance, and we made it work!"

"There were no hot girls in space Howard, plus even if there were you'd have a better chance with a three-headed alien from Mars," Penny replied, sarcastically. Now that he was married to one of her closest friends, Penny had recently warmed to Howard a lot more. But she never out-ruled to putting him in his place, and Leonard loved it. "He's only going away for a week, I think we'll survive." Penny kissed Leonard on the nose and shut the door. "Call me later."

"Bye, Penny." I love you…


End file.
